How to Cook Tofu

Posted on August 5th, 2009 by Marck

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Tofu is a nutritious and delicious ingredient that is a staple of vegetarian and Oriental cuisine. Tofu is more than just a substitute for meat; as an ingredient, tofu is versatile and can be served at any dish, at any time of the day. Here are some ways to cook and prepare tofu.

What is Tofu?

Tofu is an ingedient prepared with pressed soybean curd. Tofu has a long tradition in Chinese cooking, and it is now being used in other cuisines as well. Tofu contains many different nutrients that makes it a healthy cooking ingredient, including iron, magnesium, calcium, and healthful chemicals called isoflavones.

Tofu is sold in many different ways:

Fresh Tofu

cooking tofu Fresh tofu refers to the many preparations of tofu that come from pressed soy milk. Fresh tofu is sold in three different ways:

Silken tofu has a very high moisture content and a very silky texture from which it gets its name. Silken tofu is often eaten raw, or as a dessert.
Firm tofu is a kind of tofu that has less moisture than silken tofu, but is still quite moist. Firm tofu is often used for soups and stir-fry.
Dried tofu is a kind of fresh tofu that has been pressed or dried to get rid of all of its moisture content. Dried tofu is often shredded for use in soups.

Processed Tofu

Fresh tofu can be further processed to create other kinds of tofu. There are many products made from fresh tofu:

Fermented tofu is sold either as pickled tofu or stinky tofu. Fermented tofu is often served as an accompaniment to dishes, or used to flavor pot dishes.
Flavored tofu is made by mixing flavoring agents to the soy milk as fresh tofu is prepared. Some popular flavors include chili, egg, and coconut.
Tofu skin is a soy milk preparation that has the look, feel, and texture of the external surface of dried tofu. It is made from the film that forms on top of boiling soy milk. Tofu skins are dried and usually served as an accompaniment or ingredient to soups.

Cooking Tofu

Tofu can be served as an appetizer, entrée, or dessert. Here are some recipe ideas that you can use to cook and prepare tofu with:

Stir-fry. A common way of preparing tofu is to sautée it with thin slices of pork, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and onions. You may even omit the pork if you want to have a completely vegetarian dish. You can add other ingredients to the base recipe of stir-fried tofu like carrots, mustard cabbage, or mushrooms.
Soup. Firm tofu may be sliced into bite-sized cubes, and simmered with Chinese cabbage, meat dumplings, shredded chicken, and shrimp.
Fried tofu. Tofu is sometimes fried to give it a crisp texture, yet the interior still remains refreshing and moist. Aburaage is a kind of fried tofu that is used as a pouch for rice and other ingredients, and is usually cooked with miso soup.
Dessert. Silken tofu is sometimes decorated and dressed with sweet syrup and fruit, and served raw as dessert. The dessert cleanses the palate, and refreshes the taste buds after the meal.

Tofu is a great ingredient that you can use for any meal, at any time of the day. With these steps and tips, you can cook dishes with tofu for healthier meals, to a healthier life. If you want to know the top ten tofu dishes, you must read Top ten tofu-rrific dishes.